We don't need a replacement for Mercedes Lewis.
*Struggles to separate when running routes,
due to a lack of fluidity and suddenness.*

Big Dog Jr! If we draft him, with a healthy OL, Jones and Dillon will thrive! I always like TEs that can block well. Not to mention he will be sure to scare slot corners

Here's the latest mock draft, with a prediction of the Rodgers trade:

Rodgers trade:
Jets get: QB Aaron Rodgers
Packers get: 42nd overall pick, 43rd overall pick, 2024 conditional 3rd-round pick,* 2024 5th-round pick, TE Jeremy Ruckert

Mock Draft:
15: Traded to Buccaneers for picks 19 and 82
19: TE Darnell Washington
42: WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
43: DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
45: S Sydney Brown, Illinois
52: OLB Derick Hall, Auburn
78: Traded with pick 82 to Seahawks for pick 52
116: WR Jonathan Mingo, Mississippi
149: OL Alex Forsyth, Oregon
170: QB Clayton Tune, Houston
232: OG Mason Brooks, Mississippi
235: CB Charles Woods, West Virginia
242: TE Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest
256: S John Torchio, Wisconsin

A natural talent like this is tough to pass on; you can't teach what Big 0 has. He's an ideal security blanket for Love in the middle of the field and should be quite useful in the red zone.... Athletic enough to hurdle defenders and keep on going, and obviously powerful enough to waste DBs. The only repeated knock on him is his inability to separate, but given his tremendous talent in other areas and good hands, I think most coaches could live with that.

Taking him at #15 might be a bit high, but this is a player many GMs could easily fall in love with. If we could get him in a trade-down maneuver, that would be ideal. I don't think he lasts far past the beginning of the second round.

Darnell Washington remains my top TE for the Packers, though Mayer has edged ahead of Kincaid for 2 (and 3). I'm still not a Musgrave fan, unless you're picking him to play big slot WR.

Washington's insane CB-like shuttle remains a tipping point for me. Now, if his teammate Brock Bowers was in this draft, HE'D be my #1. It's not shocking that Washington didn't get a lot of opportunities on that stacked offense.

I have been reading comments about Washington. They are all over the place. Some love him and think he is the best and some rank him behind two or three other TE’s. I guess most of us like the player. It’s just a matter of where he fits in the draft order. IF we draft him, my guess is that’s the end of the Lewis era.

I didn’t no nothing about the TE class and just for giggles started watching the combine. Mayer was noticeably the most fluid at catching the ball, right size has proven it in big games, a no brainer. Then he runs a 4.87 40 time 🤮

Washington jumped off the screen with his size and strength. That stupid move the sled 10 yards drill….guy’s trying like hell to get low and move it, grunting and groaning and some really struggling with it. Then Washington gets up and there’s no way he’s going to get low enough….and he flicks that sled 10 yards without a sound. A Mountain Man natural strength 😲

I want this beast on our side! Herman Munster strong!

Throw it in his zip code and let him go get it.

Dead presidents club. Nice touch, Tristan! LOL.

BIJAN OR BUST (because my WR is cheap):

I've mentioned a lot about Bijan, but I think it's self explanatory to make defenses stretch. This is the McCaffrey to Samuel approach, and from here you can give Dillon a greater FB/blocking role in schemes, not have to rely on the strength of your Oline as much, and not have to go as heavy into receivers during the draft.

BIjan is the reason I don't have to sell the farm for a TE (which is a power move for this draft - not that I don't prioritize one) and I'm not as worried about a WR getting snatched from me.

If you stretch the defense you don't have to spend as much of your man power blocking everyone because more of the defense will miss. Not saying blocking isn't fundamental, I'm just pointing out why we keep getting out schemed by SF, for example. SF will gas you out by the end of games - we've all seen this.

15 - Bijan!:
Round 2 in order:
42: Drew Sanders / Jack Campbell / Darnell Washington / Jalin Hyatt / BJ Ojulari / Dawand Jones / Will McDonald / If all are taken trade out for more picks again.

43: If all are taken trade out

45: Musgrave (if needed - can still block and catch if need be) / If all are taken, trade for late 2nd+3rd, or two early 3rds (ex. 65,73)

Round 3:
At this point it becomes who has grabbed what, and who comes before you in your picks, so no one you're adding gets snagged.

65: Nick Herbig / Keion White / Michael Wilson

73: Michael Wilson (need to grab earlier since round 3 will make this guy a target - only his injuries push him back this far) / Nathaniel Dell

78: Nathaniel Dell / Jordan Battle / A high ranking player that has slipped through the cracks

Round 4-7 should be picks that fill the areas missed where you need to stack the deck and hope someone can be developed/shines in practice or preseason.

--
15 - Didn't get Bijan:
I trade out of the first round once or twice depending on my options as follows. But that's all that changes. What I usually do here is consider two TE picks if they are still on the board.

Late 1st: Michael Mayer / Darnell Washington if Kincaid is taken, or if you want more blocking / trade out 1 more time

Early 2nd: Darnell Washington (because Kincaid is probably picked and we already grabbed Mayer; I love grabbing Darnell here because this avoids all other teams from getting 2 of the top 3 TE in the draft that I think are the best overall. This is the only scenario I think that is as good as having Bijan.

42 and beyond: see *above list

--
Best Case Scenario (reasonable): Trade pick 15&45 for 17&32 assuming PIT and WAS don't take Bijan.

17: Bijan (this is the absolute lowest Bijan will go because I guarantee DET will grab him at 18 if he's available.
(Early 2nd) 32: Michael Mayer / or *above list

BirdDog I love your trade back ideas. Dairyland Express has an article on this very topic-Trading Back #15 to gain more picks in the first 3 rounds so we can fill all 5 needs we have. In order of need: TE, S, E, WR, D-line. We could fill all those holes in this draft if we can find trade partners who have fallen in love with prospects they got to have. Someone always wants to trade up or back into the 1st round.

Picking one of the top 4 TE late in the 1st round or very early 2nd would be a better value than wasting #15 on one player when we could have 3 really good players (at positions of need, not best player available who won't play) by trading back, maybe twice.

I too was disappointed in Mayers combine performance and thought I wouldn't pick him over others. Go back and watch his film. He catches everything within 10 feet and he isn't playing against teams in some lower level conference. I don't like Notre Dame but they play a tough schedule and Mayer would be a playmaker for Green Bay. Washington, Mayer, and Kraft all block well but they all catch everything too. Late 1st, early 2nd there will at least 3 or 4 of the top 5 TEs still available. We take one with our first pick and 1 later, There are so many talented TEs that will be available in rounds 4,5,6,7 that if we have the picks we can load up.

Kuntz ,Schoonmaker,Whyle,Averett,Sims,Strange,Mallory,Latu,Durham,Cameron Mcdonald,Davis Allen. So many later ones to choose from. Any of these that don't get drafted Green Bay should bring in as UDFAs.

I don't think we'll get the Jets 13. They've made it pretty clear they don't want to part with it, so it's probably a key part of their plan.....they've got a clear target at 13. We can probably get 42 and 43, which has the equivalent value of 17, and that's the best we can hope to get this year, IMO.

If we add 42 and 43 to our own 15, 45, and 78, we're in a position to have a great draft. But I don't think we'll be taking Washington at 15, and I think he'll be gone by 45, so we probably should be looking at guys like Schoonmaker and Kunst and Latu, like golfpacker mentioned.

A Starting safety. A starting OT. An OLB. A WR. A TE. Not necessarily in that order, but I'd be looking at Branch, Jones, Adebawore, Tillman, and Kunst, unless somebody better fell to me. If we traded down from 15, we could probably get the Cardinals #34, #66, and #96. It would cost us our only shot at Branch, but it would give us a couple of more bites of the apple, so to speak.

There were 61 comments when I logged in. My over/under for # of comments by BDU was 9. There were only 5, so I was way off!

This is really exciting isn't it? The TE position group is so strong that Green Bay could change a position group from a weakness to a big time strength in one offseason. And it will impact all other phases of the game for us.
It will really impact Jordan Loves performance this year. It also takes pressure off the WR group which with another couple additions can become another position group overhauled in 2 years. And also helps Love's development. I am not saying we are even going to the playoffs this year, but we could get better again in a hurry barring injuries. Draft a couple safeties and a FA later and that group is almost a strength too.

I think if Georgia had thrown to Washington more last year and he catches 50 passes instead of 24, draft evaluators would be calling him the best TE prospect in 10-15 years because he blocks so well too. Even so I think he will be the first TE off the board in the first round. #15 is too rich for him or a safety or edge rusher. This draft is a huge opportunity for Green Bay and we shouldn't get greedy and take one starter @ 15 who maybe works or doesn't pan out. Trading back still gets us one of the best TEs and 2 other "bites of the apple" as Leatherhead says to fill 2 other big needs.

I am fine with Mayer. Kinkaid, as someone said is almost like picking a big WR who also plays TE and takes the pressure off picking WR early since so many will be available in 3,4,5 rounds. Musgrave will be a very good TE. He also has been underused at Oregon State. He blocks good too. As does Kraft and he has a big catch radius. All of these guys hand catch most of the time, not much catching with the body. Kuntz is almost in this first group too.

Someone said we don't need Jeremy Ruckert if we get Washington. I say why the hell not? It's looking more and more like we don't get # 13 from the Jets. I think we would be better off to get their 2 second round picks and 2 or 3 players at positions of need this year and a 2nd and 4th next year. The 2nds together will cost less than we would have to pay a player @ #13. Pretty crucial with having limited $$$. letting Ruckert go is easy for the Jets because he is just depth to them. The same with Denzel Mims, they don't need him either and with good coaching and a QB that actually throws to him, he could easily be at the least our WR. The guy is still 6'3 215 lbs and runs 4.3. Untapped greatness. Since it seems like three 2nd round picks will be the ceiling, getting the players would be the bonus in this for us. Ashtyn Davis should be in the deal too. We get 3 good players to fill the holes along with the picks. I would be satisfied with this package and especially to get this trade done before it somehow blows up in our faces.

I am not keen on Michael Wilson. He was hurt all the time in college and stepping up in level of competition will finish his career. He is a guy you gamble a later pick on only. With so many really good, healthy, WRs that will still be around in mid rounds I sure wouldn't waste a 3rd, 4th, or 5th round pick on him. Pass. Better to take Ford-Wheaton, Mingo, Hutchinson, Iosivas, Landers, Mims, Palmer, Boutte, Perry, Scott, etc etc. All better choices.